When you look at the ‘Greats’ in any sport it seems like everyone has their own criteria of what makes a person one of the elites. You’ll find people give merit to philanthropic work, good looks, public speaking ability, their rags to riches story or even how many autographs they might have signed along the way. In the end, however, there is only one commonality: The Numbers. In addition to the hard work, the dedication and the desire ultimately it is the numbers themselves that always make the final determination.
Thomas Walker has those numbers.
Thomas started playing in the Washington, D.C. NAGAAA softball league in 1992. After several successful seasons in our nation’s capital he made the trek cross-country to Seattle. In just 13 seasons of participation in the Emerald City Softball Association (ECSA) Thomas Walker has compiled a softball resume that, to date, is probably one of the most prolific and impressive in our leagues 30 year history.
He has been a player, coach or player/coach on 12 Seattle B Division teams, 11 of those teams winning the division outright (the twelfth being a second place finish decided in the last game of the season). Six of those teams he coached in the NAGAAA Softball World Series and all of them placed in the tournament’s top ten including a third place finish in 2007, a second place finish in 2002 and a National Championship in 2003 won right where Thomas got his softball start in Washington, D.C.
As if coaching and playing on nationally competitive B Division teams wasn’t enough, Thomas also has shared his talents with players in the C Division where he has coached for six seasons. Once again the numbers do not lie. Five of those teams finished in the top two of the division, all of them representing Seattle at the NAGAAA Softball World Series and all of them placing in the tournament’s top ten culminating in a second place finish for his team the Maulers in 2009.
While his win percentage alone would be enough to elevate him to a level that would make any softball coach or player envious there is another reason why Thomas Walker should be considered as a huge part of the ECSA’s proud history. In a league still searching for its identity he brought a real seed of competitiveness to the league helping it morph and expand into the organization we know and love today.
The ECSA has always walked a fine line of whether it is a “community group” where everyone should get to play or a “competitive sports group” where winning holds importance. When the D Division was created many swayed to the concept that everyone should play and that fun was the ultimate goal. While Thomas agreed with that assessment he also held firm to the belief that you could compile a group of very talented individuals with winning as a goal that could still be a vital part of the ECSA. He has never apologized for winning or for the talented players on his teams and has repeatedly told the ECSA Executive Board that the league should be modeling the organization based on the NAGAAA divisional rating system and not on personal biases.
But Thomas isn’t all talk, something he has continuously demonstrated by taking his teams to national tournaments and bringing home hardware to Seattle. He has repeatedly shown this city what it took to compete with other major softball associations across the country and in the process has created modules of practices, drills and goal setting that has now carried over to many other teams throughout the ECSA.
There is no denying that Thomas is a fierce competitor whether he is on the field coaching or playing. The numbers do not lie and neither does the impact his presence has had upon the league both here in Seattle and throughout the country. Thomas Walker continues to be a vital part of the history and growth of the ECSA. He is deserving of being recognized for his commitment to excellence both on the field and off, the numbers more than stating the case as to why Thomas belongs in the ECSA Hall of Fame.